Hi,
We have a grade II listed timber framed house with all the panels brick infil. The stair case goes up only 1 floor but is in two halves going back on itself with a small landing in the middle. Under the stairs, the first lower half of the staitcase has been bricked up. With the second upper half being used as a understairs cupboard due to the increased headroom.
But damp was rising up the wall coming from under the lower section of the stairs which we had no axcess to, so we upbricked it to find the floor was just soil. (not compacted or anything in fact loose just like a patch in the garden) This is an isolated area, the cupboard section under the stairs has a concrete floor and been used as a cupboard - all other floors in the area are quarry floor tiles.
It is an interal wall which has the damp issue, the timber beams sitting below the level of the stiarcase seem to be rotting and we have concerns as the staircase itself is wooden, is sitting on the soil floor, and on the damp walls and is believed to be the only remaining original part of the house - dating back possibly as far as the 13-14th Century.
The conservation lady who came round agreed it was a problem but didnt know what to do about it and went away again suggesting we get a damp specialist in.
We have concerns as stories tell they blanketly say a damp proof course is required (none of the rest of the house has one and no other damp) and they have no specialist knowledge with this kind of problem.
Any suggestions???? :?
We have a grade II listed timber framed house with all the panels brick infil. The stair case goes up only 1 floor but is in two halves going back on itself with a small landing in the middle. Under the stairs, the first lower half of the staitcase has been bricked up. With the second upper half being used as a understairs cupboard due to the increased headroom.
But damp was rising up the wall coming from under the lower section of the stairs which we had no axcess to, so we upbricked it to find the floor was just soil. (not compacted or anything in fact loose just like a patch in the garden) This is an isolated area, the cupboard section under the stairs has a concrete floor and been used as a cupboard - all other floors in the area are quarry floor tiles.
It is an interal wall which has the damp issue, the timber beams sitting below the level of the stiarcase seem to be rotting and we have concerns as the staircase itself is wooden, is sitting on the soil floor, and on the damp walls and is believed to be the only remaining original part of the house - dating back possibly as far as the 13-14th Century.
The conservation lady who came round agreed it was a problem but didnt know what to do about it and went away again suggesting we get a damp specialist in.
We have concerns as stories tell they blanketly say a damp proof course is required (none of the rest of the house has one and no other damp) and they have no specialist knowledge with this kind of problem.
Any suggestions???? :?
